Benton

Daily Digest

Analysis

Site Search

Wireless Lobby Wants FCC To Block Privacy Laws

CTIA - The Wireless Association is joining Verizon and Comcast in asking the Federal Communications Commission to prohibit states from subjecting broadband providers to privacy rules. "The Commission ... should preempt any state or local broadband-specific regulation, irrespective of whether the state or locality claims that its regulation promotes or supplements federal goals," CTIA said. "Thus, for example, state 'network neutrality' regulations addressing the treatment of traffic on the network would be preempted, as would state broadband-specific privacy requirements." Verizon, Comcast, the CTIA and others make the request as the FCC is preparing to roll back the net neutrality rules. Those rules, passed in 2015, classified broadband as a utility service, and imposed some common carrier regulations on providers -- including bans on blocking or throttling service, and charging higher fees for prioritized delivery.